Drag link



July 28, 1925.

. J. W. MYERS DRAG LINK Filed July 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L'iI/II/IIIIIIIIIII. g

' 'IT'7ITII IIII IIIIII "Hi/1 I /Q- Ill #1" INVENTOR. a jgfli hl/ZW/v m a/ G. M

I ATTORNEY.

J. w. MYERS DRA-G LINK Filed July 20, 1923 2 ShQts-Sheet' 2 Jul 28, 1925. v I 1,547,181

INVENTOR.

BYVQJWLMM ATTORNEY.

Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT'TOFFIFCE.

JOSEPH var/ravens, or saoxs'o v, rrronisnngassrcnoa or ONE-HALF 'ro JOSEPH v H. lHYE'ES, OF JACKSON, MICHIGANI' DRAG LINK.

Application filed July 20, 1923. Serial 110,652,685 it To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrri W. Mrnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, county of Jackson, State ofrMichigan, have invented a certain' new and useful Improvement in Drag clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it.

pertains to make and use the same, refer ence being had to the accompanying draw: ings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to drag link construction for automobiles, and an object of my improvements to obviate the variation in the distance between the vertical lines through the pivots at the two ends, due to a change in the angular position of the link.

I secure this object in the device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

' from the end of the rod a and engaging in the groove f 64 (Fig. 3) 1s a friction roller which Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention and so much of the chassis and running gear of an automobile as is necessary to illustrate its connection therewith.

Fi 2 is an elevation artl 1n section and a a partly broken away, to economize space, the

side of the casing towardthe observer being; removed to show the apparatus contained therein.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line III'III,

. Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevation, with the side of the I casing toward the observer removed, of a modified construction. s

Fig. 5 is a section on the line VV, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing a second modification.

Fig. 7 is a detail section on the line VII-VII, Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an elevation partly in section showing a third modified construction.

a is the drag link consisting of the usual r tubular portion and a cylindrical rod a forming an extension of the tubular portion toward the knuckle of the front wheel.

I) is a casing having a circular bearing 6 therein at the larger end, which is remote from the drag link, and a second bearing b (Fig. 2) at its smaller end adjacent to the drag link. The casing 19 is functionally and substantially a part of the drag link and is so considered in the appended claims.

Links, and ded is the steering arm pivoted in any usual way to the drag link at the. endremote from the wheel. i e is a cylinder fitted and adapted to rotate in a bearing 12 in the casing 72; f is a disk adapted to fitand be secured in the bearing b in the casing 12. b is a set-screw for fixing the disk f in position. f is a groove in the surfaceof the disk f. This groove is parabolic in shape at the left'of the vertical line through the center, as shown in Fig. 2.

The rod 4& passes through a diametral aperture through the cylinder 6 in which it is adapted to reciprocate longitudinally, the casing and walls of the bearing 5 being so formed as to permit of the angular motion of the rod a as the cylinder 6 rotates about its center. The rod a is offset and enlarged and strengthened at 0. and passes over the disk 5 a is a pin extending atright angles around the pin a in the groove f The casing 19 is provided with a cylindrical pivot pin 6 extending vertically from the I of the drag link tends to alter the distance between the vertical lines through the centers of the pivots at its two ends. To compens'ate longitudinally through the cylinder 6 and its longitudinal movement is controlled and determined by the engagement of the pin a in the slot F. This slot is so formed that as the pin a moves in it the rod 01 is moved a distance just sufficient to correct the change of horizontal distance between the pivotal points of the drag link due to the change of the angular position of said link. Thus if the pivot d descends below its position when the drag link is horizontal the pivotal points of said link would approach each other in a horizontal direction but the pin a rising in the upper branch of the slot f forces the rod of outward and thus substantially for this the rod 0. is free to slide lengthens the link so that the horizontal distance between itspivotal points remains constant.

Instead of a parabolic, and accurate, groove f a circular groove may be used and a ring 9 (Fig. l) fitted therein, the-pin a in this instance forming a pivotal point between the rod a and the ring 9. When the drag link oscillates the ring 9 will be caused to slidingly rotate in its groove, causing an approximately equivalent longitudinal movement of the roda tothat above described. In Fig. 6 a disk ga is substituted for the ring 9 similarly adapted to" rotate about its center and having. the rod 6 pivoted to it in the sameway as above described with reference to the ring g.

In Fig. Sinstead of the casing b the pin. d extends upward and is provided with two branches 2 and 3 turning away from each other, presenting pivotal points 5 and 6. ata considerable distance from each other and in the same plane. The rod a? is replacedby. a similar rod 7 which may reciprocate freely in the bore of the tubular portion of: the drag link a. The outer end of the rod 7 is pivoted at 6 to the branch 3 of the pin (Z 1 4 is a link pivoted at one end at 5 to the branch 2 of the pin 6 and at its other end pivoted to the drag link/1. When the pivot of the steering arm that. connects it to the drag link moves vertical? ly the drag link oscillates-about the pivotal point 6 .and the link 4 about the pivotal point 5L Thus the change of angularity of the link 4 compensates for the. changewof angularity of the drag link and'its effective pivotal points remain at a constant .distance horizontally from each other.

IVhat I claim is:

1. In a steering mechanism for automobiles the combination of a steering'arm, a knuckle arm, and a drag link pivoted at one end to one of said arms, and at: the other end to the other of said arms, and means whereby the angular motion of said link due to the relativevertical motion of said steering arm, shall alter the length of 2. In a steering mechanism for automobiles, the combination or" a steering arm, a knuckle arm, and a drag link pivoted at one end' to one or said arms and at the other end'to the other of said arms, a "portherodaa a casing b, a cylinder 6, ins-aid casing. adapted to rotate about its center,

said rod 'slidably passing through said cyl" inder'and a guiding part engaging the end of said rod in said casing and causing the movement of said rod through said-cylinder When said rod and cylinder are oscillated.

4; In a steering mechanism for automobiles, the combination of a steering arm, a knuckle arm, a drag'link pivoted at one end to one of said arms and at the other to the other of said arms, said link being movable longitudinally relative to one of said arms, and a cam action'between said link andsaid rm adapted to move said link longitudinally with a constrained motion for the purpose described;

5. In a drag link, the combination of the rod 614%, the casing b, the cylinder 6 adapted to rotate in said casing, said casing being provided with a groove f, said rod fi ting and being adapted to slide through a dia-metral aperture'in the cylinder 6 and being provided with a part engaging in tne groove f, for the purpose described.

6. In a steering mechanism for automo biles, the combination of a steering arm, a' knuckle arm, and a drag link pivoted at one end to one of said arms, and at the other end to the other of said arms, and means for compensating for the relative movement of said arms, so that said rela tive' movement shall not cause an angular movement of said knuckle arm.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

JOSEPH IV. MYERS. 

